Pres., Athenry are Colleges Hurling champions

Presentation College, Athenry .............4-8 Mercy Colleges, Loughrea / Woodford ..1-7 BACK-TO-BACK Connacht Colleges Senior (A) hurling titles for Pres., Athenry after this magnificent victory in the final at Duggan Park in Ballinasloe on Sunday. The defending champions, boosted late last year by Athenry's glorious triumph in the County Minor Championship, led by 2-3 to 1-3 at half-time and pulled away in the second half.[/private] The opening period was thrilling with three goals inside nine minutes. Dara Cooney netted for the holders in less than two minutes; Mercy Colleges briefly hit the front when Shane Caulfield pointed and Jason Flynn fired home a goal, but Pres replied with a first-time strike by Michael Mullins. They wrapped it up when Cathal Keane blasted home a 43rd-minute penalty and Christopher Bannon put the icing on the cake with their fourth goal ten minutes from full-time. Scorers. Pres., Athenry: M Mullins 1-5 (3 frs), C Keane 1-2 (1-0 pen, 1 fr), C Bannon, D Cooney 1-0 each J Carr 0-1. Mercy Colleges: J Flynn 1-2, S Caulfield 0-2, P Hoban (1 fr), K Cormican, S Keon 0-1 each. Pres., Athenry: K Kavanagh; A Lawless, C. Hardiman, J Gibbons; S Hynes, D Concannon, D Healy; S. Hickey, C Keane; B Moran, B Lane, C Bannon; M Mullins, J Carr, D Cooney. Mercy Colleges: L Uniacke; S Moloney, G Rooney, D McManus; D Sweeney, P Hoban, D Morgan; A Moran, S Caulfield; C Quinn, P English, K Cormican; D Madden, J Flynn, S Keon. Subs: S Hannon for Moran (44 mins); K Comer for Morgan (58 mins). Referee: Paul Fahy. Man of the Match: Cathal Keane. All-Ireland Vocational Schools' Junior (A) Hurling Championship semi-final: Loughrea V.S. 4-10 Causeway Comp., Kerry 1-7.[/private]